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Help ANybody get a replacement shipped? Are there refurbs yet?

BeastMD

Well-Known Member
Feb 11, 2010
153
18
Been having lots of Texting issues, failures, super longs delays to send/receive.

The phone support has been useless. Woman today tried to tell me my 3 week old phone was out of warranty and they generally know NOTHING about the phone.

Anyway, they are supposed to be shipping a replacement today, any idea of they are sending out crappy refurbs yet. I hate that I would get a refurb when the phone is so new.

Ugh!

And everything else on the phone works so well.
 
I sent my phone back the first week I got it beacuse the kickstand wasn't working properly. The guy at the store told me to make up something wrong with the phone and not the hardware so I just told them the phone kept rebooting on its own. They sent me a new phone within a few days and everything's been good so far. It wasn't refurbised.
 
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Phones going out now are refurbs, no battery, no accessories, zippo! Usually arriving in a small brown box with no branding. These are most likely phones that have been returned for recessed power buttons, dead pixels on the screen, faulty volume rocker, but are however found to be in standard working order by VZW's techs. I know this because I received one today that was supposed to be brand new because of my current one having some 4G issues. Arrived today just like I described above, not even with a battery door, and with ofcourse.. Drumroll please....
A terribly recessed Power Button!
Couple this together with most of the techs lack of knowledge on the device, the sim issues, etc, and we can honestly say VZW is shooting themselves in the foot here...

I still really like the phone though!
 
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If it is a crappy refurb I am just going to probably keep this one. I mean, since everything else works on the phone so well. Data has been reliable, calls always work, most of the time texting is fine. I am willing to bet this is a 4g related issue or bug that will get resolved in time too bad that Verizon tech support is so bad. Only way to find out is to try the new phone though and see if it has the same issues.

I mean when I am having the trouble with the texting I can at the same time make calls with no issue or browse the web on 4g, 3g, or wifi.

What happens is when I text using either the stock app or chomp I will get a time while in chomp the little spinning circle goes(sometime 5 minutes or more) and get a failure or it will finally go. Also when people text me it may take 5-20 minutes for me to get the text. It happens at random, but seemingly more often when I have been on wifi for a while. I sad with my GF's simple phone on my couch and watched hers send to me while I waited for the message.

Also sometimes when I get a failure the message actually does go through.

Other times texting is fab, seemingly faster than it was on my X.

Its baffling. I always have at least a bar of 4g where ever I am. And changing to EVDO only it does the same thing.

Anyway.. Hope they are out of refurbs and they send me a new one.

Edit: Also switching to airplane mode and back almost always resolves the issue.
 
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I had a phone shipped to me yesterday, over nighted and it was brand new. Normally with the refurbs, they change the esn and/or the imei and slap a new sticker on the back under the battery. This wasn't the case with the one I received. It was brand new and came with the battery door. BUT, I had problems so I had them overnight me another one. I received another one this morning and it was brand new. It came with a battery door and had no signs of it being used or refurbished.

Even if you get a NEW replacement they are not going to give you the box, accessories or battery. When these phones are manufactured they are sent to Verizon for boxing and branding. Verizon isn't going to waste money on packaging and accessories when you already have those parts when you purchased the phone originally.

That being said, I don't understand what is with you guys a refurbs. The process that refurbs go through to make sure everything works is much more stringent than the process of new phones. Either way, you have a 1 year warranty, refurb or not. If it breaks you get it replaced. Who cares?
 
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I had a phone shipped to me yesterday, over nighted and it was brand new. Normally with the refurbs, they change the esn and/or the imei and slap a new sticker on the back under the battery. This wasn't the case with the one I received. It was brand new and came with the battery door. BUT, I had problems so I had them overnight me another one. I received another one this morning and it was brand new. It came with a battery door and had no signs of it being used or refurbished.

Even if you get a NEW replacement they are not going to give you the box, accessories or battery. When these phones are manufactured they are sent to Verizon for boxing and branding. Verizon isn't going to waste money on packaging and accessories when you already have those parts when you purchased the phone originally.

That being said, I don't understand what is with you guys a refurbs. The process that refurbs go through to make sure everything works is much more stringent than the process of new phones. Either way, you have a 1 year warranty, refurb or not. If it breaks you get it replaced. Who cares?


Ok so here's the way it goes Chris, the return rate on this phone is absolutely insane! Have u been reading the Forums lately, there are some people going through 3/4 phones before they get a good one! When I say a good one I mean, one without the known problems we have been seeing. Like the recessed power button, faulty volume rocker, dead pixels on the screen, gaps between the screen and the housing, dust under the screen, and etc, etc! So with that being said, someone buys the TB, and gets one with maybe 1 or 2, or even 3 of the above problems. So they return it! VZW gets it back and tests it, puts it through the paces, and eventually deems it a working unit, and it gets sent to the warehouse to wait for a home. These are the phones that are being pawned of to us. To me thats nasty business, those phones should be sent back to HTC, because at the price we pay for these phones, VZW and HTC need to take build quality more seriously.

Whether that gets deemed a refurb or a new unit depends on the person receiving it. Only having the phone for 2 or 3 weeks, I would expect a BRAND NEW phone in the box that nobody has ever touched. After maybe a few months, well then I could definitely understand receiving one like the ones that are being sent out.
 
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I agree with you. The build quality on these phones are horrendous. Out of all the smartphones I've owned a (Motorola Droid X, HTC Incredible, Motorla Droid 1, HTC Imagio, HTC Touch Pro 2, Blackberry Tour, Blackberry Storm, Blackberry 8830 World Edition, HTC XV6700) the thunderbolt has definitely had the worst quality I've seen. It took me multiple replacements before I was able to be satisfied.

Under Verizon's worry free guarantee you have 14 days to return or exchange your phone. So the first 14 days you are entitled to a new phone, sealed in box with the accessories. But the quality isn't any different from the ones we are receiving as "clean like new replacements." In fact, the phones that have been sent back to Verizon as "defective" or returns under the worry free guarantee haven't even had enough time to go through the refurbishing, cleaning and testing process. Whenever a new phone is launched, Verizon has an extra stockpile that are used for replacements. Once that new stockpile is used up, then the rest are just certified "clean like new" phones. In other words, used. Verizon is still sending out their new stock from their original shipment when the phone first launched. That supply hasn't been diminished yet. Just because it doesn't have a back doesn't mean its used. But I do find it very strange that my replacements that I received did include a back battery door and yours did not... I'm curious to find out why... I know verizon has a seperat SKU for phones with battery doors, mainly as replacements for phones that have been discontinued.

I have noticed that my latest phone that was shipped from Verizon as a replacement was manufactured in February and seems to be of better quality. The others were in December and January. I believe HTC recognized these flaws and changed something in their build.
 
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Phones going out now are refurbs, no battery, no accessories, zippo! Usually arriving in a small brown box with no branding. These are most likely phones that have been returned for recessed power buttons, dead pixels on the screen, faulty volume rocker, but are however found to be in standard working order by VZW's techs. I know this because I received one today that was supposed to be brand new because of my current one having some 4G issues. Arrived today just like I described above, not even with a battery door, and with ofcourse.. Drumroll please....
A terribly recessed Power Button!
Couple this together with most of the techs lack of knowledge on the device, the sim issues, etc, and we can honestly say VZW is shooting themselves in the foot here...

I still really like the phone though!

Keep it. In about 2 weeks the power button gets better
 
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I have been a Verizon customer since before they were Verizon and I can tell you that every refurbished phone I have ever gotten has been inferior in one or many ways from a new out of the box phone.

Here are the few I can recall I have had problems with(not in order)...

8 (yes 8) Voyagers. First was perfect cosmetically but the screen stopped working. Every one I got had a different issue. Peeling screen, bad buttons, finicky touch screen.

Moto 815, dropped perfect one in water. Got 2 more one had a very loose hinge, second was cosmetically kinda beat up. Kept it.

Droid Eris, died during software upgrade, second had dead pixels functionally fine. Kept it.

Samsung Alias, dropped it in toilet, 2 replacements had various issues, loose hinges, reboots.

I am not saying that I should not get a refurb for ones that were my fault and I would be fine if Verizon actually cared enough to do more than a quick once over with these phones but they dont.

And this 15 days from the 30 it used to be is bullshit. I mean barely 2 weeks after you are locked into about a $2400 contract plus $200 to buy the device you should get a new phone when the one you get is defective for at least for a few months.

Anyway sitting here playing with texting again, sent myself a text 11:57 and got it at 12:09 with 2 bars of 4G. Whoever asked about if I ever turned 4g off before and played with testing. Yes I did, still flaky performance.
 
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I have been a Verizon customer since before they were Verizon and I can tell you that every refurbished phone I have ever gotten has been inferior in one or many ways from a new out of the box phone.

Here are the few I can recall I have had problems with(not in order)...

8 (yes 8) Voyagers. First was perfect cosmetically but the screen stopped working. Every one I got had a different issue. Peeling screen, bad buttons, finicky touch screen.

Moto 815, dropped perfect one in water. Got 2 more one had a very loose hinge, second was cosmetically kinda beat up. Kept it.

Droid Eris, died during software upgrade, second had dead pixels functionally fine. Kept it.

Samsung Alias, dropped it in toilet, 2 replacements had various issues, loose hinges, reboots.

I am not saying that I should not get a refurb for ones that were my fault and I would be fine if Verizon actually cared enough to do more than a quick once over with these phones but they dont.

And this 15 days from the 30 it used to be is bullshit. I mean barely 2 weeks after you are locked into about a $2400 contract plus $200 to buy the device you should get a new phone when the one you get is defective for at least for a few months.

Anyway sitting here playing with texting again, sent myself a text 11:57 and got it at 12:09 with 2 bars of 4G. Whoever asked about if I ever turned 4g off before and played with testing. Yes I did, still flaky performance.


How bout my newest one takes about 15 minutes to download an App from the market! I'm at a ropes length with this de-bogle by VZW. I came to love this phone, up until a day or so ago when it was as if the phone just started to break down, and they send me a friggin phone that was deff returned by somebody because of a faulty recessed power button. Yesssss, I am pissed! At this point if VZW won't send me a brand spankin new one only a few weeks into a new contract tomorrow... Well then I'll just sell this thing on eBay for just enough to cancel my contract, take the loss on the $199 and go right over to T-MOBILE for that new LG coming out in a week or so. Yes the TB is supper fast...but VZW's care for they're customers has gone straight to the toilet.
 
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I got my 4th TB replacement from Verizon a few days ago after going through 3 phones being replaced during the first 14 days at the verizon store. Each was a brand new replacement and each was built like crap.

1) Screen became unresponsive when plugged into the oem wall charger that came with the phone (phone replaced with brand new unit)

2) Volume up button became stuck and would not work at all (phone replaced with brand new unit)

3) Head Phone Jack would lose audio to left channel speaker if the input stem was touched slightly or if the input was turned counter clockwise or clockwise at certain points. (tried 3 different sets of head phones, numerous others are having this issue, check my other thread). (Replaced with a brand new phone at verizon store)

4) Same issue with head phone jack on this brand new unit, so I called verizon corporate and they sent me another unit.

5) No more head phone jack issue works perfectly in that sense. This unit came with no accessories, in plain brown box and the unit did include a battery door. It physically looked new and seems to be working good for the most part. Only issue is the power button is not very tactile. There is not really any click like the other phones I had. Its not recessed but still doesnt seem right. Anyway these phones are build like crap so I feel lucky thats the only issue with the phone. I'd rather have that then a bum head phone jack. Not really sure if its new or a refurb though.
 
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At this point I doubt they will have refurbished units. What you will get is a service unit, It will be a phone with no battery or sim or SD card in a little brown box. Its new just not in retail boxing. I got an EVO this way and if you go into settings you can check if its a refurb or new, mine was a new unit.
 
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Ok so here's the way it goes Chris, the return rate on this phone is absolutely insane! Have u been reading the Forums lately, there are some people going through 3/4 phones before they get a good one! When I say a good one I mean, one without the known problems we have been seeing. Like the recessed power button, faulty volume rocker, dead pixels on the screen, gaps between the screen and the housing, dust under the screen, and etc, etc! So with that being said, someone buys the TB, and gets one with maybe 1 or 2, or even 3 of the above problems. So they return it! VZW gets it back and tests it, puts it through the paces, and eventually deems it a working unit, and it gets sent to the warehouse to wait for a home. These are the phones that are being pawned of to us. To me thats nasty business, those phones should be sent back to HTC, because at the price we pay for these phones, VZW and HTC need to take build quality more seriously.

Whether that gets deemed a refurb or a new unit depends on the person receiving it. Only having the phone for 2 or 3 weeks, I would expect a BRAND NEW phone in the box that nobody has ever touched. After maybe a few months, well then I could definitely understand receiving one like the ones that are being sent out.

I'm sorry but this phone is not as bad as you are trying to make it out to be, go to any of the other forums for other phones and you will see the same amount of posts. Hell the OG Droid forums had nothing but returning phone posts for a long time. People complaining on a forum is not a good judge on return rates for a phone. First off it is a small minority of the actuall user base, and second people are only going to post if they have an issue. What you aren't seeing is the people who bought the phone and have had no issues and don't post on forums.

I understand that some have had issues with the phone and I'm not going to say that it is user error or that they are crazy. What I will say is that trying to say the return rate on this phone is insane because a small minority on a forum are having issues is crazy talk. Trust me if there was a huge return rate on this phone the blogs and news sites would be going nuts about it.

How bout my newest one takes about 15 minutes to download an App from the market! I'm at a ropes length with this de-bogle by VZW. I came to love this phone, up until a day or so ago when it was as if the phone just started to break down, and they send me a friggin phone that was deff returned by somebody because of a faulty recessed power button. Yesssss, I am pissed! At this point if VZW won't send me a brand spankin new one only a few weeks into a new contract tomorrow... Well then I'll just sell this thing on eBay for just enough to cancel my contract, take the loss on the $199 and go right over to T-MOBILE for that new LG coming out in a week or so. Yes the TB is supper fast...but VZW's care for they're customers has gone straight to the toilet.

The problem you are having with the Market is a Market issue and has nothing to do with the phone or VZW, I have seen the issue happen on my OG Droid and my TB. It is never consistant and doesn't happen for any disernable reason. It eventually will fix itself and then come back and then fix itself. I have sometimes had to try and download an app a few times before it finally downloads, however it always eventually works, and like I said it doesn't happen consistantly.
 
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I'm sorry but this phone is not as bad as you are trying to make it out to be, go to any of the other forums for other phones and you will see the same amount of posts. Hell the OG Droid forums had nothing but returning phone posts for a long time. People complaining on a forum is not a good judge on return rates for a phone. First off it is a small minority of the actuall user base, and second people are only going to post if they have an issue. What you aren't seeing is the people who bought the phone and have had no issues and don't post on forums.

I understand that some have had issues with the phone and I'm not going to say that it is user error or that they are crazy. What I will say is that trying to say the return rate on this phone is insane because a small minority on a forum are having issues is crazy talk. Trust me if there was a huge return rate on this phone the blogs and news sites would be going nuts about it.



The problem you are having with the Market is a Market issue and has nothing to do with the phone or VZW, I have seen the issue happen on my OG Droid and my TB. It is never consistant and doesn't happen for any disernable reason. It eventually will fix itself and then come back and then fix itself. I have sometimes had to try and download an app a few times before it finally downloads, however it always eventually works, and like I said it doesn't happen consistantly.


Sorry man, your wrong on the retun rate! I know 3 people that have the phone, one is my Lady and she is on her 3rd because of various issues and the other is my (contact) who low and behold is a verizon employee,and is already on his 2nd within 3 days. Take a look at how many people on this Forum alone have had to do atleast 1 exchange! Seriously, some are on they're 4th/5th phone...THAT IS NUTS! You seem like a cool cat, I see alot of your posts and they usually shed some light on either helping a problem, or just giving out friendly advice, but on this topic right here, I have to side with the notion that HTC could have, should have, but didn't build a better phone then the 1 year old EVO...Most of last years build quality issues that were present on the EVO are alive and well on the TB.
 
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received my replacement today, brown box like others have said no battery / charger. It did come with a battery cover. im guessing its a refurb as there was a small nick on the edge of the battery door so i kept mine. no recessed buttons no dead pixels i hope this one is good but only time will tell!


Im sorry I love this phone, as long as it works but I have never had to deal with this many issues on any high quality device and this includes apple products which i hate at least they are built well.

This phone reminds me of a xbox 360, in which everyone said I was nuts when I had to return 3 of them in a 2 months span, everyone knows the truth came out about that and it will for this as well.

And verizon is scumb bag company, but there coverage is the best, bunch of morons working there.
 
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. Its new just not in retail boxing. I got an EVO this way and if you go into settings you can check if its a refurb or new, mine was a new unit.

Where would you see that?


I got mine today, looks new. Was in a brown box with a cover but no battery, sim, or mem card.

So far so good texting, hopefully this resolves the problems I was having.
 
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Where would you see that?


I got mine today, looks new. Was in a brown box with a cover but no battery, sim, or mem card.

So far so good texting, hopefully this resolves the problems I was having.

Yea, I'd like to know how you can check settings to see if its a refurb. I just put in a request for a new phone today. I should be receiving the phone Monday. I will report back on whether its a refurb or new.

Also, I read in other forums that just because the phone comes in a brown box without the accessories does not mean that it's not a "new" device.
 
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Don't try and find out if it's a refurb if you really don't want a refurb. If you can't tell by looking at it or using it then who cares? I was lucky enough to get a new one, but if it was a refurb it wouldn't have made a difference. It's the same exact phone.

The way you can tell if refurbs are just as good as new products is by the warranty. If a manufacturer offers a warranty that is the same for a refurb then you know it is a quality refurb. If they only offer a 30 or 90 day warranty, or something less, then you know the manufacturer doesn't have confidence in its refurbs, or the failure rate is higher for refurbs, which is why they lowered the length of warranty.
 
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